Frozen Noses and Warm Arms
by ZC70
Summary: First frost and cold nights force the need to share heat
1. Chapter 1

Clarke can't get to sleep because she is bone deep, teeth chattering cold. The first real frost of winter has arrived in the camp and everyone has been doing their best to deal with it. They had all been spoilt by the climate control of the Arc and it's continuous clement atmosphere, but now on Earth they have had to face reality. The weather has become a daily topic of discussion and shelter now means the difference between life and death.

Clarke has extra layers clothes on and extra pelts on her bed to keep her warm, but tonight the wind has picked up and is howling a gale through the gaps in the seams of her tent. It doesn't matter how many layers she has put on; her fingers are cold, her feet are cold, and her nose feels like a small petulant ice block screaming for some summer sun to melt it.

For the past 15 minutes, Clarke has argued with herself about who exactly she is going to cozy up to and steal warmth from because this is the only solution she can see to her current problem. It's either share body heat or subject herself to a lovely case of hypothermia. She remembers reading about this when learning about surviving on Earth, it didn't sound like the most awful way to die, but Clarke is not ready to give up on a future on Earth just because she's got qualms about sharing someone's bed.

She has gone through her list of possible candidates, stemming from the girlfriends who are probably cozied up with their own significant others to those not so friendly that would take advantage of having Clarke in their bed – physical advantage or bragging rights (either disadvantage having crossed most of those off Clarke's list of possible warming bed monkey's). So in the end, Clarke can only think of one person that she would feel safe enough to ask to warm her up and who maybe would actually be alone- _Bellamy_.

Bellamy has hugely toned down is alley cat ways since the days of _Whatever The Hell We Want,_ so much so that she had not seen any females make hasty retreats from his tent and had not once walked in on him with someone in his bed. Of course, Raven had revealed her night with him after some- _a lot of, really_ \- moonshine and a messy tearful bought of remorse on Clarke's shoulder. She had thought that maybe the remorse went both ways and Bellamy was avoiding complications, but in truth they were both so involved with keeping everyone alive that neither of them had had any time for relationships.

Clarke lets out a huge sigh which projects a large puff of visible moisture laden air into her tent. _Enough is enough_ , she thinks. It's time to bite the bullet and search out some heat. So after wrapping some of pelts tightly around her frozen body, she gathers her courage and stomps towards the door of her tent.

The camp outside is eerily quiet for the amount of people who live inside of it, Clarke guessing that everyone must be wrapped up inside their tents keeping warm. Clarke's path is easy to see as it is lit by the moon which is high, round and bright in the midnight blue sky above and as she tries to stealthily make her way across the camp, all she can hear is the pacing of the guards at the walls and the all too loud crunch of her boots on the frosty ground beneath her. She tries to lessen the sound by tiptoeing as she makes her way towards Bellamy's tent, but in the end huffs at the stupidity of that idea- the people on the wall have probably already seen her.

 _Well, that's their job_ , she muses to herself as she attempts not to worry about what they may be thinking when they've spotted her crossing the camp in the dead of the night.

She quickly reaches the door to Bellamy's tent and before she can lift the flap, she hesitates. She's struck with a coil of nerves in the pit of her stomach and wonders, _what if he's not alone?_

Clarke then begins to pace as the thoughts run around her head, chasing each other and biting at each others tails at their contradictions. What if her assumptions about him and his relationship status are wrong? But what if he is alone?

Should she just open the flap a little and check and if he is alone? What will he think when Clarke joins him?

She smacks her forehead lightly with this final thought. She wants the time to ponder all these possibilities as she is the Queen of deep consideration and possible consequences, but as she paces she can feel the cold seeping deeper into her bones, almost to the point of physical pain.

Stomping her foot on the ground as if to say _stop being a whimp_ , Clarke reaches for the flap before she can second guess herself, yet again. Grasping it and gently lifting it to pop her head under, she quickly glances towards the bed and can see by the moon light drifting in through the raised flap that Bellamy is alone. And if the gentle, calm breathing coming from his bed is to believed, he seems to be sound asleep.

She ducks into the tent and lets the flap fall shut, cutting off the light from the moon and throwing the room back into shadows. She silently makes her way over to the makeshift bed and starts to disrobe- Earth skills having taught her that to share body heat, you need skin to skin contact and everyone knows that Bellamy likes to sleep in as little as possible- The boy has no shame when it comes to his body and he is all about flaunting it when he feels the need. The amount of times Clarke has caught him half dressed when she's come to his tent for a leader discussion, you would almost think that he had planned it that way.

Quickly stripping down to her underwear, Clarke pulls back his covers and eases herself into the bed with her back facing Bellamy as gently as she can. She pulls the covers over herself and can't suppress the groan of pleasure that escapes her cold lips as she feels his warmth start to seep into her chilled skin. Clarke's audible groan then causes her to tense up and her eyes to spring open- She really hadn't meant to do that. Keeping still, Clarke listens to check and see if Bellamy has woken up. Seconds pass, but his breathing remains the same. _Thank goodness_ , she thinks, and settles back into the warmth of the bed.

His bed is so much warmer than her own was and that is totally due to the heat that emits from Bellamy- She's only recently started to notice that he always seems to be warm, and might slightly be jealous of him because of it. When Clarke is busy pulling on extra clothes, Bellamy is still wandering around in a t-shirt and when they are standing close together discussing plans, she can feel the heat radiating from him. Actually, Clarke has started to notice a lot about Bellamy recently. She's noticed the way he looks at her when she's making plans and she's noticed the way that he listens to her above everyone else. She also found that he takes care of her by making sure she eats regularly and making sure she has help when she needs it, but most of all he talks to her. He talks to her about everything- about plans, about himself, and he asks about her plans and about herself.

She's still awake and she's now frustrated by it all. Her feet are warmer, her hands are warmer, and that iceberg on her face is definitely melting. But now, her mind is whirling.

Being this close to Bellamy, but not touching, and being this undressed next to Bellamy, but not intimate has Clarke's head going to places that she has never allowed it go before. The frustrating thing is that she wants to sleep; she is warm enough to sleep now, but her mind wants to know what all the little things that she's been noticing really mean. She wants to know if these midnight revelations are one sided or if she's truly been ignoring the change in Bellamy's feeling towards her.

Clarke huffs quietly in her frustration with these thoughts and the insomnia they are inducing, and decides that maybe it's time to get Bellamy involved in this internal dialogue. Giving into her immature side- _I can be fun_ , Clarke tells herself- she slides closer to Bellamy until her back presses up against his arms and her butt pushes up against his groin. In his sleep, Bellamy lifts his arm and allows her to snuggle into his chest as his arm slips down around her waist- almost as if they do this every night. He does not wake when she does this, much to Clarke's annoyance, and so she goes for a sure fire way to make her presence known and places her still cold feet onto his shins. The reaction is immediate and hilarious to Clarke who is unable to suppress a giggle of amusement.

Bellamy springs back and almost out of the bed- or he would be if the side of the tent didn't catch his fall- and his eyes snap open as a gasp of alarm falls from his mouth. Clarke rolls over and grabs at his waist to pull him back into the middle of the bed, and Bellamy allows himself to be pulled forward in a daze- his eyes staring into Clarke's with a look of disbelief on his face.

He doesn't move or speak and his hands stay resolutely at his sides as though touching her would burn. As his silence surrounds them, Clarke tries to quiet the rapid beating of her heart by reminding herself why this seemed like good idea a few minutes ago. But faced with a mute, shocked Bellamy, she begins to think that maybe she was wrong about all this and then lets her gaze fall from his face to his chest so that she can't see the disdain that she thinks is about to appear on his face.

"Clarke?" He murmurs when he finally breaks his silence. It's said in a questioning tone, but she has no idea what the question is, so she doesn't answer.

He tries again, this time his tone more demanding. "Clarke. Why are you in my bed?"

This would probably have made her want to sink into the bed with shame if he hadn't, at the same time, finally moved towards her. He wraps his arms around her and pulls her into his chest, and Clarke finds her face pressed into his neck as he presses his head into her hair and takes a deep breath. She lets her hands roam up from his waist and his back as her legs entwine with his, and she allows the relief of knowing she wasn't wrong ease through her taunt muscles.

"I needed you," she mumbles into his neck.

"Since when?" He huffs out in humorous disbelief.

"Since I nearly froze to death tonight." She lightly tugs at the curls at the base of his neck as though it was his fault to begin with. "Since I realised that the only person I wanted to share body heat with is you and since I realised that, maybe, these feelings might be mutual?"

Bellamy pulls back slightly and puts a finger under her chin to lift her head so that they can be eye to eye again. "What feelings are we talking about, Princess?"

Clarke would normally have completely clammed up at being asked to reveal herself first, as her heart still reels with her fears and insecurities caused by Finn, but the heart stopping smile on Bellamy's face as he gazes at her gives her the courage to speak up. His feelings are written across his face for her to see clearly for the first time, and maybe they have been that way for a while, but she's just been so caught up in avoiding them that they have gone unrecognised by her.

"These feelings that I have for you," she finally and honestly admits. "These feelings where you are my safe place, where you are the only one who knows the true me, and where you are my favourite person on this entire planet." When she finishes, she allows him a few seconds for her admission to sink in before she moves in closer to press her lips gently against his. The kiss is light and gentle, and a bit dry from the cold. Pulling back and licking her lips, she finally asks, "Am I wrong?"

"No, Princess, you're not wrong." He huffs out as he stares into her is no need for her to explain what she's asking as he knows her and knows what she needs. "You, Princess, are my safe place, plus you know me inside out too and you are above all- except Octavia," he says with a little smirk and a shrug. "-are my favourite person on this entire planet."

She watches with fascination as his tongue darts out to wet his lips and his head slowly descends so he can tug her bottom lip gently with his teeth. Clarke's eyes fall shut and her lips part allowing his tongue access to dance with hers. They get lost in the feel of each other, both grasping the other tighter to remove any gaps between them. Falling back against the bed Clarke drags Bellamy down with her and as her legs fall open he grinds down onto her causing them both to groan at the new sensations.

Clarke eventually pulls back, breathing heavily to pull some much needed oxygen into her lungs, and lets her head fall back allowing Bellamy to place soft wet kisses down her neck and along her shoulder. She is so warm and languid, and her eyes are starting to droop. She doesn't want to sleep as she has Bellamy all to herself, and this is such a happy and exciting moment for them both, but the lack of sleep and the energy she used fighting off the cold tonight are beginning to creep up on her.

"Bellamy," she says drowsily and places a kiss to the side of his head. "I'm sorry, but I really need to sleep." She can't quite believe she's saying this, but it's almost too much effort keeping her eyes open.

"That's okay," he tells her and moves off to her side. She rolls onto her side and snuggles in as he pulls her back flush with his chest. "Sleep now. I'm not going anywhere."

As the waves of sleep begin to drag Clarke under, she feels a gentle kiss on her bare shoulder and just barely hears a whisper from Bellamy. "Glad it's not just my warm body you need."


	2. Chapter 2

The noises from outside the tent slowly make their way into Clarke's dreams. It's too warm for her to fully wake up so she snuggles deeper into the covers and ignores the sound of the camp waking up beyond the tent walls.

From under the covers she hears the flap of the tent rustling and hopes that whoever it is will just go away- could it really be daylight already.

"Move over Princess. It's freaking cold out here." Says a deep, warm voice from inside the tent.

She throws the blankets off her face and stares at Bellamy in surprise - _what the hell did he just say?_ She's about to put him right about moving over to make room for him in her bed when she catches sight of herself and the tent.

In a move that she's ashamed to admit is totally a teenage girl move, she throws the covers back over her head. Maybe if he can't see her she can pretend he's not there- _how the hell did am I in Bellamy's bed?_ She thinks from beneath the covers. Slowly the events of the previous night start to filter into her consciousness and she slowly starts rolling the covers back from her face and gives him a sheepish smile and hopes he doesn't notice how hot her cheeks are.

Bellamy is busy shrugging of his jacket and toeing off his boots, when he glances back up at her with a smirk. "Forget where you are for a minute there princess?"

Rubbing her hands over her face to hide her red cheeks she groans out loud. "One more comment like that and you'll sleep on the floor tonight." She doesn't see any need not to face this head on. She's already half naked in his bed, why not test the water.

"Awe, don't be like that Sweetums, especially as I got us breakfast." The look that Clarke gives him could have frozen fire. "You don't like Sweetums? How about Sugar pie?...Honey?...Snookums?" It's a good job his reflexes have improved down on earth, it's the only things that allows him to duck her boot whilst keeping the bowl and cup he's holding steady - not a drop spilt. He can't help but laugh, she's so feisty- He loves that about her. Plus that scowl, along with her red cheeks and bed tousled hair is making such a pretty picture. All he really wants to do is toss breakfast and join her under the covers.

"Clarke I'm sorry." He pleads, food held up towards her in appeasement. "You're just so cute when you're riled." He's happy to note the little upward quirk that appears on her lip. She's nowhere near as angry at him as she's making out. So he feels like maybe approaching his feisty kitten might not end up in a mauling.

"Can I get in? It's a little cold out here." She shuffles, somewhat reluctantly, over. He hands her the food and quickly shrugs out of his cargo pants. Climbing in quickly beside her, he takes the hot drink and sips it while she starts on the bowl of whatever it is that was in the cooking pot.

"Ugh, what on earth is this?" Clarke complains.

"No idea, whatever they came up with from our limited supplies. Eat up its hot and I'm pretty sure it's not going to kill you."

"Here-" She says handing him the bowl "-that's enough of that. What's in the cup?"

"Mint tea, I think." He says handing it over to her. She takes a sip and nods at him.

"That's pretty good. Warm too."

They finish their breakfast side by side and fairly comfortable. She's right about the gruel- it's not good, but it is hot and fills a gap. With a final drink of the mint tea to remove the taste of breakfast he grabs the bowl and cup and puts them down beside the bed. Clarke has already settled back down. She's pulled the covers up to her shoulders and her fingers are busy plucking at the ends- he'd earlier completely glossed over her attempt to gauge this new development in their relationship and now her courage has fled. He settles down next to her- on his side facing her, his head propped up on his hand.

They both talk at the same time, "I should go.." "We need to talk.." She laughs nervously. He grabs her hands to stop the plucking.

"Don't run away Clarke." He says quietly, drawing her attention away from where he clasps her hands. She looks at him, fear seeping into her eyes.

"I meant what I said last night." He says hoping to put her at ease.

"Which part?" She asks quietly.

"All of it. I want this Clarke, I want us-" he moves his hand up to tuck her hair behind her ear, "- I want to be the one who keeps you warm at night. I want to wake up in your arms and I want freeze my ass of in the morning getting you breakfast." He stares at her intently while he professes his love- Putting his heart on the line, because he knows that she is worth it- With Clarke at his side he can do anything.

She stares back at him, looking for any sign of a lie. She wants him to be sincere, but life has taught her that people are not always honest with her. Take Finn and his sweet sincerity that turned out to be so false. She really, really wants to believe him. She wants to let him know that he probably already has her heart, but she hesitates.

"Bellamy..."

"No Clarke, don't. I know you've been hurt-" They'd shared so much during their talks that off course he knows her history, "- I won't hurt you. Stay here with me. Let me keep you warm, let me prove that you can trust me. I need you Clarke- you make me want to be a better man." She watches as he moves his head closer, her eyes flick to his mouth. Her arms unconsciously move to grasp his shoulders as his lips find hers. In seconds her fears abate and she loses herself to the feel of his soft lips caressing her, his warm hand tightening on the curve of her waist.

He pulls back just enough to whisper, "Let me love you."

"Yes." She whispers against his lips, before tugging his bottom lip into her mouth.

xXx

Harper grabs Miller's arm, from behind to get his attention. "Have you seen Clarke this morning?"

Miller, blowing on his cold fingers, thinks for a few, "nope. Have you asked Bellamy? He's up and around, I saw him grabbing breakfast this morning."

"Would you go ask him? Fox slipped on some ice this morning and I don't want to leave her alone too long. Tell Clarke we're in the drop ship."

Miller nods and stamps his feet to get circulation moving, before heading to find Bellamy.

"Bellamy." He calls before ducking and walking into Bellamy's tent. He can't help the grin that breaks across his face at the scene in front of him. Covering his mouth to hid the grin he clears his throat to get their attention. It doesn't work. The couple in the bed continue kissing and...Actually he does not want to know what else they are doing. They're completely lost in each other and oblivious to Miller's interruption.

"Well you two, it's definitely about time, but Clarke we need your medic skills so..." He practically shouts at them, causing Bellamy to shoot round to face him, whilst he also pulls Clarke behind him, as though to protect her from predators.

The surprise on Bellamy's face is priceless. Miller finds is really hard to contain his laugh. He just manages it, so he can peer over Bellamy's shoulder and catch a blushing Clarke's eye. "Fox fell on ice and Harper is worried. They'll meet you in the drop ship."

He turns to leave, his shoulders shaking with laughter and lifts the tent flap, before throwing over his shoulder. "Better put some clothes on. Octavia is incoming." He makes his way towards the teenager striding across the camp and does his best to compose himself before delaying her. After all Bellamy and Clarke deserve some alone time and getting caught half naked twice in one day is no good for anyone's budding relationship.


	3. Chapter 3

It was official Clarke hated winter, sure it was pretty and all, but that's where the love affair stopped. She's totally done with winter. She blames the adults on the Ark, if they ever make it down to the surface, then she is most definitely going to give them a piece of her mind. They were so unprepared for life on the ground- and that doesn't even include the unexpected Grounders- not enough equipment, not enough supplies, not enough preparation and definitely not enough time to get ready for the freezing cold and snow.

She's taking a couple of minutes to get some fresh air at the door of the drop ship. The ground inside the camp is covered in a thick layer of compacted snow. It was so pretty the night it fell, all white and fluffy. But all too soon the activity in the camp had made it hard and dirty and the freezing temperatures had made it lethal.

She spots Lincoln making his way across camp, following closely in Octavia's purposeful wake. He catches her eye and she doesn't hesitate to give him a small smile and wave. Without Lincoln she's sure that most of the camp would be dead by now. She knows that there is no way that herself and Bellamy alone could have managed to get them through this winter- Lincoln's Earth skills and his ability to negotiate with his tribe have been invaluable, making him one of her favourite people on this harsh land.

She sighs heavily, puffs of frozen breath escape out into the grey day and Clarke brings up her tingling fingers up to her mouth to blow some warm air onto them. Finally she stomps her feet to get the circulation going and heads back into the drop ship.

Before she can fully pull the canvas aside to enter the ship a firm arm grasps her around the waist and a warm face nuzzles her neck. She quickly relaxes into the warm chest embracing her from behind, as it could only possibly be Bellamy standing behind her. Ever since their first night together a couple of weeks previously she has learnt that Bellamy is a very tactile boyfriend. He finds any and every opportunity to hold her- Not just when they sleep, but when they eat, when they discuss the camp and when they lead. If he's around and they have the chance she's on his knee, wrapped in his embrace or sitting between his legs.

She should maybe talk to him about it, but honestly she just can't get enough of it. He's so warm and she feels so safe in his arms that she doesn't care about the odd looks from some of the delinquents. Their relationship has not made her any less of a leader- Just because she's happier feeling him near does not mean that she now bows to his every whim. In truth, now that they are together their leadership is even stronger, they hash decisions out more, they are more open about not agreeing with each other's decisions and when they do decide on something they are rock solid in their support if each other.

Besides they've each been so epically busy since that first night that the sporadic cuddling has become almost a necessity for them. Every day she spends hours patching, sewing and fixing the delinquents- some through stupidity, some through lack of experience with this weather and some through dumb luck. When she's not administering care, then she's teaching. She can't be the only one who knows about healing, so she's been passing on her knowledge. Whatever is left of her day is taken up with matters arising, sorting disputes, planning ahead and generally just trying to get them all through to the next one.

Bellamy is equally busy with his leader role- Assigning tasks, combat training and daily hunting. She'd never realised just exactly how much food it would take to keep this many kids alive. Every day they have to produce at least two meals that would keep them both nourished and warm- Yes, winter on the ground was turning out to be so much worse than life on the Ark. On good days Clarke can almost convince herself that if they get through this then it will be so much better too. On bad days she wonders if getting floated wouldn't have been easier- Thankfully Bellamy's touch keeps at bay many of the bad days.

"When did you get back?" She asks him- Her hand tangling in his thick curls to keep his warm mouth pressed into her neck. He laughs into her neck, knowing exactly what she wants, but he can't answer her if she doesn't let go. She huffs out breath of frustration, before slackening her hold on his hair. Lifting up he presses a quick kiss to her temple before answering.

"Just back Princess"

"You're early, did everything go okay?" She asks in concern as she quickly swivels around to face him - Her eyes raking over his upper body and face looking for any signs of injury.

"Yes, we caught a deer and several rabbits. And no injuries this time." He tells her with a wide smile, knowing just exactly what's going through her head as she appraises him - Hunting wasn't the safest pastime and it wasn't unusual to be back early due to an injury or two.

Her heart flutters with a little joy, not only is he back in one piece, so is everyone else and that hopefully means less work for her and maybe also that they're finally learning.

"So Princess, do you have 20 minutes to spare for your _hunter_?" He says with a smirk and a glint in his eye.

"Hmm-" she says, pulling away from his embrace and walking backwards toward the canvas hanging over the entry way to the drop ship. "- I'm really not sure I can fit you in. I've got a mild concussion to keep an eye on and there are a couple of kids with sniffles that I should try on a steam bowl and then..." Before she can continue she's pushed into the gap between the doorway and the canvas, his arm landing on either side of her head and his hips pressing against hers- There is no escape.

"I could make it worth your time." He whispers into the shell of her ear, his warm breath tickling and making goose bumps break out along her arms inside her jacket.

"Oh really? Please do tell me how you plan on making it worth my time. Do you have magic powers to blow the cold weather away or maybe you've discovered the cure for a cold? Hmm?" She loves messing with him- They so rarely get the opportunity.

"Nope-" he says between the kisses he's placing along her jaw, "- but I do know exactly how to make you _hot_ and I'm sure that I can cure your winter blues." He finishes talking just as he reaches the side of her mouth and before he can say any more she bites on his bottom lip and sucks it into her mouth.

Letting go with a final gentle tug, she stares into his warm, brown eyes. "Shut up and kiss me already." She demands with a smirk- He immediately obliges.

Raven pops her head out from behind the canvas and smirks at the couple pressed against the wall- They're far too lost in each other to notice her presence.

"Bellamy-" he pulls away from the kiss, but immediately doesn't acknowledge Raven. "- you have my permission to whisk Clarke away for the next hour."

Clarke frowns at Raven and begins to splutter a refusal, but finds that it difficult to say anything with Bellamy's hand covering her mouth.

"You gonna' be okay?" He checks with Raven - Ever the concerned leader, putting the kids first.

"Sure we are, Fox and I can hold the fort and as long as no one does anything stupid we'll be fine. Now get out of here you crazy kids, the Clock's ticking!" She gives Clarke a saucy wink, causing the blood to rush to the blonde's pale cheeks before dropping the canvas back into place and leaving them alone again.

"Hear that Princess? I've got an hour to warm you up." She can't help but smile back at the wide grin on his face.

Finally some time alone and maybe, if they're lucky they'll even manage to stay awake this time.


	4. Chapter 4

It began with a couple of sniffles and a chesty cough- nothing to worry about just adjusting to the ground and the weather, but within hours it had spread to include over half of the delinquents. Clarke explained that because they had grown up in space, they had not been exposed to the same germs and viruses that the Grounders had, so when the Flu hit- It hit hard.

Before Clarke could impose any kind of quarantine, they had more case of the Flu than they could cope with. The drop ship quickly overflowed, so the had to keep the only worst cases in the ship and move the less affected ones out to the tents adjacent to the ship.

Clarke had gone into a self imposed exile from Bellamy and the uninfected. The only well kids allowed within the drop ship were the few delinquents that had been through Clarke's medic training- This included Fox, Raven and strangely enough Octavia.

Clarke had made sure that Bellamy, the hunters, the trackers and the cooks were kept well away from the drop ship and the infected tents- Foremost in her mind was the need to keep everyone fed, hydrated and warm. The medics had to wear cloths over their noses and mouths and a constant fire was burning outside the drop ship, with containers of water close by for cleaning their hands.

Monty had been tasked to provide an antiseptic that could be used to clean their hands and to disinfect the surfaces within the drop ship- Anything to reduce the spread of the virus. Lincoln had been indispensible in this endeavour- They had managed to distil a suitable liquid using an infusion of the healing seaweed and a minty herb (known for its astringent properties). Lincoln had had to go and trade for it, as in winter the only availability of this particular herb was hanging dried in Grounder villages.

The Flu epidemic has now been running for three week and Bellamy has barely seen Clarke or Octavia- The only interactions being quick discussions on what is needed and updates on the sick kids. All of these had taken place a few yards away from the infected zone with Bellamy a minimum of three feet from them- Each time they meet he itches to touch them-To hold his sister close and feel her warmth. Make sure she's not burning up and that she's eating enough. With Clarke it is worse- They've been sharing a cot for over a month and now his it feels big and empty without her lying next to him- Her smell has gone from her pillow, her clothes are no longer folded in the corner and he can't even remember the last time he stumbled over her boots.

When he's in camp he's constantly on the lookout for the girls coming out to wash their hands or to attend to the sick in the tents. He doesn't want to ever miss a chance to see them- To know that they are still well. His greatest fear is that they'll get sick and he won't be there to help. It's only a small consolation to know that is his not alone in these fears- Lincoln is in exactly the same boat.

Bellamy has had to learn to accept that he is no longer the only man in his sister's life. Octavia is nothing if not stubborn, outspoken and completely sure of her actions- And Lincoln is something she is very sure off. Besides Bellamy has found that his life on the ground is infinitely safer and easier to navigate with the help of their Grounder friend. He copes with his sister's relationship with the big older Grounder, as long as he ignores which tent Lincoln sleeps in and has the ability to suddenly go blind every time they kiss- It's a work in progress.

He's just stepping off the ladder to the xupper part of the wall when Lincoln approaches him. He waits expecting the bigger guy to speak- He obviously has something to say. He looks concerned and Bellamy feels a tightness in his chest.

"Is Octavia okay?" He asks, almost not wanting to know what the answer.

"She is doing well as far as I can tell." He answers, then hesitates before speaking again. "It's not Octavia that I'm concerned about."

Bellamy watches the emotions play across his face – Concern, dismay, uncertainty. He dreads Lincoln's next words. "It's Clarke."

Bellamy's head drops and he stares at the dirty snow at his feet. He focuses on the dark brown rivers of melted snow mixed with muddy ground that are cutting their way through the hard compacted snow- _Maybe the worst of winter is over_ he thinks. His mind deliberately concentrating on these mundane thoughts- Allowing him precious seconds to gain control over his body's reaction to those two little words.

He glances back up at Lincoln- He's just about back in control, although he's fairly sure that his fears are clear in his eyes. But at least when he speaks, he knows that he won't break. "What do you know Lincoln?" He asks.

"Did you notice last night how unsteady she seemed?" – _No, damn_ _! How_ _could I miss it_ – he castigates himself as Lincoln continues. "And this morning, she has not been out at all. Have you spoken to her? Isn't it past time for your daily meet?"

He wants to reassure Lincoln that he is mistaken and that Clarke was probably just tired last night. But he knows that over the past couple of days he's been doing his best to ignore the fact that she's been looking less in control, more unsteady and that the circles under her eyes are even more purple than usual. He finds himself breathing heavier as the panic starting to build. The muscles in his shoulders bunch as his panic is quickly over taken by a blinding anger- Anger at Clarke for daring to get sick when they need her- _When he needs her_ \- Anger at life, at the ground, at everything.

Before he can start blaming anyone for the intense red that is washing over his mind, he turns heel. "Opening the fucking gates, now!" He screams up at the kids manning the gate- He's out before anyone can try to stop him.

As soon as the camp is obscured by the trees he begins to run, and run and run until he just can't anymore and he falls to his knees deep in the forest- Gasping, unable to catch his breath, he punches the earth hard once and then twice for good measure. The pain hits quickly, reactivating his breathing which returns in hiccupping, gasping breathes. Tears pool in his eyes, before overflowing and spilling down his cheeks- The pain in his hand smarting and the relief, at being able to breathe again, overcoming him.

Before he knows what to do next, he's laughing, shaking, wiping his unbroken hand across his wet cheeks. "She'll fucking kill me when she sees this" He says out loud to himself as he watches his blood, mixed with ice crystals, run through the gaps in his fingers.

When Lincoln eventually finds him sitting on the cold hard ground, his back pressed up against a leafless forlorn tree- He is much calmer and the bleeding has all but stopped.

"Let me help you with that, my friend." Lincoln says as he kneels down in front of Bellamy and gently begins to clean the blood and dirt from Bellamy's busted knuckles. "Your sister would kill me if I take you back like this and Clarke will kill you if she sees this."

He gives Lincoln a hesitant smile – Lincoln is correct in his assumption. "Did she come out after I left?" He hopes Lincoln has good news for him.

"No. I'm sorry. I waited only a little time before following you. I did not see her come out. Maybe she is waiting for you as we speak."

He's grateful for Lincoln's calming words, but knows that that is all they are- There is no real truth in them. "We both know that's not true, but thank you-" He says sincerely "-How about you finish fixing up my hand and we head back so that I can go and take care of my Princess?"

"That, I think, is an excellent plan." Lincoln says as he finishes wrapping Bellamy's knuckles tightly to protect his wounds.

The walk back to the camp is longer and quieter than Bellamy expected. He had not realised just how far he had ran – no wonder he was unable to breathe by the time he had fallen down. At least the trek back gives him time to properly calm down and work through what he is going to do when he gets back to camp.

They enter the camp and he catches Sterling at the gate. "Have Clarke or Octavia been out to look for me this morning?" He asks- Sterling had been on the wall before he had run out of camp so he would have had a good view of the drop ship.

"Octavia was out about 10 minutes ago, she was looking for either you or Lincoln I think. Miller spoke to her." Bellamy patted him on the back, thanking him and went in search of Miller.

It only takes him moments to spot Miller amongst the tents. "Miller" He calls to get his second's attention. Miller trots over to Bellamy from beside the fire and waits for instruction- His guard background has made him the perfect second to Bellamy's leader role. "You spoke to Octavia this morning. What did she say?" Bellamy asks the younger boy and braces for bad news.

"Hmm, nothing really, just the usual update." He shrugs and rubs the back of his beanie in thought- doing his best to remember exactly what Octavia had told him. "People are getting better, no one is dying and to keep the food and water coming. I think she did expect to see you or Lincoln, but she didn't say that she particularly needed to talk to you."

"Did you see Clarke at all?"

"No it was just Octavia this morning. Didn't see Raven or Fox either." Bellamy nods, gives Miller's shoulder a squeeze, before walking determinedly towards the drop ship.

"Clarke!" He shouts and waits- Still within the uninfected area, but close enough that she can easily hear him from inside the ship. Hands on hips, right boot toeing the ground and head hanging he waits.

"Clarke!" He shouts again.

He's about to start walking towards the drop ship when he sees the canvas moving and Octavia appears.

"What is it you need Bellamy? Clarke's busy and I've already given Miller an update for today." She inquires with a hint of exasperation. "Has someone else come down with the Flu?"

Bellamy watches his sister closely for a minute- He's known her all her life and she cannot really hide anything from him. And at this precise moment she is definitely trying to hide something from him.

"I want to speak to Clarke." He says- His tone brooking no argument.

"I already told you she's busy. She'll call.." He doesn't let her finish the lie. "Octavia! Get Clarke out here now or I'm coming in."

"No. No." Her hands flies up to head him off and she starts backing towards the drop ship as if to prevent him entrance. "Don't be stupid Bellamy." He starts walking towards her, giving her plenty of time to give him the truth or to go and get Clarke- He really hopes that she will just go and get Clarke and he can stop worrying about her. He really hopes that Lincoln is wrong and she just is that busy.

Before he can reach his sister she's at the canvas. "Just stay here Bell, I'll go get Clarke." He nods "Really Bell stay, don't come any closer." She insists. "Okay." He says nodding- He's okay with waiting as long as Clarke comes out.

Hands back on hips he walks back a little way from the entrance to the drop ship. Swinging round to check behind him he finds Lincoln, Miller, Monty and a dozen of the delinquents standing not far behind him. "Don't you have things you should be doing?" He demands, impatiently. Lincoln, Miller and Monty just shake their head and fold their arms. They're not going anywhere- Clarke is as much their friend as she is his girlfriend. The rest look at him in surprise and then scarper. He hears the movement of the canvas and folds his arms across his chest before turning heel.

He watches as a blonde head appears round the side of the canvas. Its Clarke, but she's not yet looking at him. She's looking thinner, her head is bowed, but he can still make out the cloth covering her face. She moves slowly from under the canvas and Octavia follows behind. She stands up fully just on the other side of the canvas with Octavia standing very close- almost like she is supporting her.

He can't help but smile when he sees her- _Maybe she's actually okay_. He thinks. "How are you doing Princess?" He asks- Concern clouding his voice.

"I'm good Bell. Really busy looking after the kids, but they're getting better each day." She rasps out and starts coughing before she can say any more. The coughing continues, it has her swaying and reaching for Octavia.

"Fuck this for a game of soldiers." He mutters as he sprints towards the door of the ship to catch a slumping Clarke before she crashes to the ground. He spares his sister an angry glance before focusing on the unconscious girl in his arms. There are tiny dark spots appearing on the cloth covering her mouth and he has to bite is tongue to stop himself from tearing a strip off Octavia, but only because he knows that she has no control over Clarke- Clarke is ten times more stubborn than his sister.

"Are there any free tents?" he asks Octavia tersely.

She points to a hide covered one on the left of the drop ship.

He strides away from her, Clarke clutched tightly in his arms. "Lincoln, get over here." He shouts over his shoulder. He needs to know what is wrong with Clarke and it is obvious that she is in no state to tell him.

Bellamy gently lays Clarke on the cot inside the tent. Slipping off her boots and jacket before puling the furs and blankets up over her. Finally he slowly removed the cloth covering her face and tentatively dabs at the red spotting her lips.

"She is very sick" Lincoln quietly says from behind him. "This is not the same as what the others have."

Bellamy momentarily squeezes his eyes shut, as if to block out this news and gulps in the hope of easing his churning insides.

Slowly turning his head, he looks at Lincoln kneeling behind him. "Can she survive this?"

He knows he needs to ask the question, but he has to lock his arms to his sides to prevent covering his ears- he just doesn't want to hear the answer.

"I do not know for sure-" Lincoln hesitates, allowing Bellamy to swallow the seriousness of Clarke's situation "- But I have seen this before and I know where to get help. The medicine will need to be traded for."

"Take whatever you need. Offer whatever you need. We will pay. We can't lose Clarke." Bellamy rasps out- his throat clogging up with fear.

"I will go immediately. Nyko should have what we need. I will be back in the morning. Keep her warm and make sure she eats and drinks." Lincoln stands to head out.

"Be careful. We need you back safe." Bellamy tells him, making sure he understands his importance to the camp. "Tell Miller he's in charge until Clarke is better. If he needs me I'll be in here, but not to come in. Also arrange for food and water to be placed outside."

Lincoln nods "I will do as you ask. Take heart Bellamy, she is young and strong. All will be well."

Once alone Bellamy concentrates on the unconscious girl beside him- brushing her golden locks from her face, pressing his palm against her forehead to feel her temperature (she's hot against his palm). He sighs loudly - she doesn't stir or make any indication that she hears him- "Princess, what have you done to yourself?" He asks, not expected any answer. Leaning down he presses a chaste kiss against her forehead, "you are going to be fine. Lincoln and I are going to fix you up and you'll be back on your feet in no time." He hopes that she can subconsciously hear his voice and that it gives her some kind of comfort- talking certainly helps keep his panic in check as he fusses over her. "I can't do this without you, you know? Without you to keep me in check, it'll be back to the _whatever we want_ days in no time."

He moves to sit on the cot, leaning against the tent wall he stretches his legs out in front of him and props her head upon his lap. He starts to run his fingers through her hair and continues to tell her why she needs to get better. "Octavia will hate me again, because your voice of reason is the only thing that stops me from turning into that over protective big brother I was when we first landed." His voice gets lower as he continues to gently play with her hair. Closing his eyes he whispers, "All in all Princess, you really need to fight this, because I'm going to fall apart without you."

He not sure how long he sits, eyes closed, gently playing with Clarkes hair and listening to her breath. When- "Bellamy?"

He hears Octavia's concern from outside the tent."it's okay O, you can come in."

His sister appears from under the tent flap. She looks at Clarke sleeping in Bellamy's lap and then gives him a small apprehensive smile. "I'm sorry Bell. Honestly I tried to get her to slow down, to tell you how she was feeling, but she wouldn't let me. She hid most of it. If she hadn't started the coughing today I wouldn't have known how bad she actually is"

"It's okay. I know what she is like and I should have seen it sooner. Lincoln had to point it out to me. I don't blame you."

"How is she?"

He glances down at Clarke and gently lays his palm against her forehead. "Still hot, but not coughing and probably getting a really good sleep. She needs it.

"She certainly does." Octavia is busy nodding her head vigourously- Clarke has obviously been pushing herself too hard. He takes a moment to properly look at his sister. She looks tired, but much healthier than Clarke.

"How are you O?"

"Stop worrying big brother I'm doing fine, no cough, no sniffles. Just a little tired, but that's what happens when you about 40 sick kids." She gives home a tired smile. She's telling the truth his happy to note. "What about Fox and Raven?"

"They're good too. Clarke has made sure that we sleep and take breaks. I thought she was doing the same." She breaks his gaze and looks down at her hands clenched on her knees.

"Don't." He stops her, as he knows exactly what she is feeling. "You couldn't have prevented this O. Clarke is her own worst enemy and twice as stubborn as you. Don't beat yourself up. She's going to be fine." Octavia looks up at him, her eyes bright with unshed tears. "Those kids in there are going to really need more than ever now." She nods in agreement. "I'm going to be in here with Clarke and tomorrow Lincoln will be back tomorrow with medicine for Clarke. You need to concentrate on the kids and Miller will get whatever you need."

She gets up and gives him a one armed hug so as not to disturb Clarke. "Look after our girl and yourself Bell. I'll check in tomorrow." He squeezes her as tight as possible, thankful to feel her warm solid presence and gives her a quick kiss on the temple before she leaves.

Settling back against the tent wall once more, he closes his eyes and rests- He's going nowhere until Clarke wakes up.

xXx

Clarke sitting up abruptly, bending over, holding her chest- as if to keep her lungs inside her- and coughing loudly startles him out of sleep. He gets up and grabs the water from beside the bed and does he best to support her as she tries to reign in the coughing. She collapses back against him, her chest heaving as she wheezes in as much air as she can and blood spotting the hand that was covering her mouth.

"Clarke?" He asks as pushes her hair back from her face. His heart lifts a bit when he finds her intense blue eyes staring back at him. He gives her what he hopes is a reassuring smile, "here have a little water." He holds the cup against her mouth and tips it enough that some dribbles into her slightly opened mouth. Her hand pushes the cup away before she takes much in.

"Bell, what happened?" She croaks.

"You collapsed outside the drop ship. Don't worry though- Your Prince was there to catch you." This elicits that ghost of the smile he was looking for. "We're in one of the tents beside the drop ship and you Princess, have now got your very own nurse to be at you beck and call."

Worry creases appear between her eyebrows, "Bellamy-" She croaks, then coughs- it's only a short cough and she quickly gets it under control. He puts the cup back up to her lips and makes her drink more. "- You shouldn't be in here."

"Nope, not going to happen- It's been three weeks and I'm done sleeping alone. You will be a good girl and let me look after you. You will do everything I tell you- No arguments." He gives her his most stern look- The one that has most the kids quaking in their shoes if he chooses to bestow it on them. He waits for to object, but it looks like all the fight has seeped out of her.

"Okay." She croaks.

He's a little disconcerted as she never gives up without a fight, but he squashes the worry- He reassures himself that it's just because she's unwell. "First, let's sort this tangled mess out for you. Can you sit up?" She nods and with help she sits and leans on her knees to Bellamy has access to her hair.

He starts slowly combing out the tugs in her long hair- Careful not to cause her anymore pain.

"Talk to me Bell. Tell me what's been happening. I've really missed you too." She says

He starts talking quietly filling her in on the ongoing struggle to survive on the ground. Telling her about the hunting, the trading, and the experimental foods the cooks have been conjuring up. He just talks about the good stuff, the silly stuff- The stuff where no one was harmed. As he talks he finishes combing her hair and starts braiding it. It's grown so very long since they've been on the ground and the braid finishes at her lower back. He ties it off with some leather and gently pulls her back to rest against his chest once more.

"How does that feel?" He asks, kissing her temple just as he had Octavia's several hours ago.

"Perfect. So good I'm wondering why you've hid this skill from me." She says quietly.

He looks down at her face and can see the small smile playing on her lips- She's teasing thank goodness. "In my defence Princess I prefer you're hair cascading down your back. I especially like it trailing across my…" Her elbow jabbing into his ribs stops him abruptly. He rubs it, but it doesn't stop the grin from forming- She's a lot pinker, (you might say rosy cheeked even) than before. He pulls her back against him. "Hands, I was going to says hands." She snorts in disbelief.

"Okay sorry-" He's not. "-From now on I'll braid you hair whenever you so desire. Will that be enough of an apology for my lack of disclosure?" She nods.

He really doesn't want things to get serious, but he needs to make sure that she knows what is going on and he really doesn't want her springing any more surprises on him.

"Clarke? How are you feeling? Do you know what is wrong with you?" She's quiet for almost too long. He's getting ready to ask again when she suddenly starts speaking.

"I think I have something called pneumonia. I learnt about it on the Ark, but it rarely happened so I've not treated it before"

"How do you treat it?"

"Depends upon whether it is bacterial or viral- Doesn't matter really, as we don't have any medication to deal with it."

"Well Lincoln was pretty sure he knew what you have, so he's gone to get you medication. He'll be back tomorrow with it. In the mean time is there anything I should be doing to get you better?"

On hearing that Lincoln is away getting medication for her, she seems to finally let go of the last bit of tension that was keeping her upright. She snuggles into Bellamy's chest and presses her forehead into his neck. "Just the same as the Flu, keep me warm, hydrated and fed and I should be fine."

"That I can do for you." Her breathing evens out- He wonders if she's fallen asleep again. "Clarke?" He whispers.

"And lots of sleep." She murmurs grumpily into his neck.

He chuckles a little and pulls the furs and blankets up over them. "Sleep my Princess. I'll be here when you wake." Kissing the top of her head he tightens his arms around her and listens to her wheeze breathing.

Tomorrow Lincoln would return, his Princess would get her medicine and he can then start worrying about all the other things that can go wrong with the kids on the ground, but tonight he's just going to let the girl in his arms sleep and heal, while he thanks his lucky star that he gets to hold her again.


	5. Chapter 5

The snow had finally melted away leaving in it's wake a dirty, muddy, unpleasant camp. As much as the snow, cold and ice had been harmful and difficult to live with it , it had not smelt anywhere near as bad as the thaw. Clarke couldn't wait to smell something other than dirt- everything smelled like dirt. She watched from the drop ship door as the delinquents went about there daily tasks, many of them stopping to acknowledge her as the walked past. If they hadn't known her for her leadership they certainly all knew her now, many of them had been sick over the winter and ended up in quarantine at one point. They were all thankful for her skills- no one had died from the flu that winter. It was definitely something to be grateful for.

Looking up she caught sight of the dark curly mop and broad shoulders of her boyfriend as he made his way across camp. She couldn't stop the grin from spreading across her face- her stomach clenched and the butterflies took flight within her. Everything that they had suffered was worth going through just to have met this man- even Finn's betrayal was worth going through to get her to this place and time.

She watched as Bellamy got closer and closer, a couple packs bouncing around on his shoulders spiking her curiosity. He finally looks up at her and she breath catches at the heart stopping smile that he has for her - _I'm_ _so_ screwed- she thinks - _I am so in love with that man._

"So Princess you ready?"

She momentarily shakes her head to clear it off the dancing hearts and twinkling silver bells turning her brain to mush. "Ready?"

"Seriously-" he says with a mock sternness, "- you've already forgotten about our vacation."

She's completely stumped- Wracking her brain - _what on earth is he talking about?_

The curtain of the drop ship flutters behind her and she twists round to see Raven grinning at her.

"You remember Clarke. But really I'd call it a honeymoon rather than a vacation."

 _What the...have her friends gone insane?_ She's speechless, her mouth falls open, then shuts and her head comedically twists swiftly back and for between them.

"Honeymoon?" She finally spits out.

"Was that a proposal Princess? Well in that case- Yes." Bellamy says with a huge grin, dropping the packs and striding up towards her. Before she can make a move, her feet are swept from under her and she's in his arms. She grasps quickly onto his shoulders to steady herself - looking up at him in disbelief. _"Are you for real?"_

" I meant every word." He tells her as he presses a soft kiss to lips.

"I said that out loud, right?" She asks him- the blood rushing to her cheeks. He is the only one that can still make her blush.

"Sure did Snookums."

She tugs not so gently at his curls - which just makes him laugh. They've talked about these pet names, but she can't stay angry with him when he looks so happy and laughing, so she just lets it go.

Pushing herself away from him, he allows her feet drop to the ground and lets her step away from his embrace.

Giving them both a stern look, "Would either of you care to explain why I'm the only one not in on this joke?" She demands

Her stern look does nothing to quell the amused look on her boyfriend's and best friend's faces.

Bellamy just crosses his arms and continues to grin at her- she not getting anything out of him and she's not about to do anything to remove that twinkle in his eye.

Raven on the other hand is open for some torture. Her hands move to her hips and she takes a step towards her best friend.

Raven sees the glint in her eye and before she can dig her clinical fingers into Raven's side, she got her hands up in front of her, warding Clarke off and is protesting mercy.

"Okay, okay I'll tell you. " She says, keeping a good arms length between herself and Clarke.

"Pussy." Bellamy laughs out behind them.

"Hey! You know how evil she can be with those fingers." Raven protests.

"One of you better fess up right now or there will be consequences!"

"Fine-" Bellamy says, "leave Raven to get on and I'll tell you all about it."

Raven catches her in a hug, "Have fun", she says before ducking under the curtain of the drop ship.

They are alone again -relatively speaking, there is still a camp full of kids behind them.

"So..."

"Yes well, umm...you see..." He doesn't appear to know how the start the explanation. The sparkle in his eye starts dwindling and he's looking less confident. She grasps his hands.

"Hey, it's okay tell me." She reassures him with a smile.

Thankfully he grins back at her and pulls her into his arms. He head descends and she reaches up to gather his curls in her fingers, as his warm mouth tugs and nibbles at her lips. Her senses explode with the feel and smell of him- warm, pine, musk - "mmm-" She whispers against his lips, "- not even a hint of dirt."

He chuckles and presses his forehead against hers. It's not the first time she's mentioned dirt in the past month. "It's a good job I love you Princess or I might think you're comparing me to dirt!"

She pulls back to stare at him- _does he have any idea what he just said_ \- his happiness is clear to see and there is no hint of regret or fear in his eyes. Plus it's not like she didn't know. She decides just to let it be, to not question it, but she can't resist a little teasing - he really has started to rub off on her.

"Please never use the word love and dirt in the same sentence ever again." She says as she rolls her eyes at him in mock exasperation- and there it is, that momentary _oh damn_ when he realises what he just said. She tugs him closer, rising up on her toes so she can whisper into his ear - "I love you too."

His arms tighten around her and he nuzzles into her neck and hair in relief. She's pretty sure that not many people in Bellamy's life have told him that he is loved.

They stand there for a few minutes just holding and enjoying each other's touch before her curiosity can't take it any more.

"Okay, now that you know I'm not going to kick you out of bed for teasing me. Do you think you could tell me what exactly is going on?"

He steps back and walks backwards to pick up the two packs lying where he dropped them earlier. Tossing one two her he grins. "Well my feisty one. You know how we've been working our asses off and how we never seem to get any time just to be alone and how we've still not..."

She dashes towards him hand over his mouth before he can finish that sentence- really not everyone needs to now that they've never...well you know! She does her best to convey - shut up- with her eyes, but Bellamy just swipes his big wet tongue along her palm pressed against his mouth.

"Bellamy yuk. What are you 5?" She exclaims whilst wiping her moist palm against her jeans.

"I was going to say, before I was rudely interrupted. How we've not managed to go... _swimming_!" He looks very pleased with himself.

She just looks at him, hands on hips and that arched eyebrow - yeah right that was exactly what he was planning on saying.

"So you want to go swimming?" She questions

"Yep, I want to go with you and do lots and lots of... _swimming_."

Slinging the pack over her shoulder she sets off in the direction of the gate. Knowing Bellamy and his hyper protectiveness he'll have arranged everything already, so no reason to hang around right?- She's really looking forward to getting wet.

Glancing behind her she sees an unmoving, slightly confused Bellamy staring at her.

"Well lover boy, what are you waiting for? Thought we had some splashing about to get too!"


End file.
